"Well, I should get going now..." Shido said, glancing at Kurumi.
After leaving the battlefield, the two had been teleported to a quiet place where there weren't many people around. Their Astral Dresses had disappeared, and they had returned to their normal appearances.
The orange hues of the sunset bathed them in a warm glow, yet neither of them seemed particularly affected by the earlier battle. Their expressions remained calm, as if everything that had transpired was just another ordinary event in their lives.
"Thank you for coming to save me, Shido-san," Kurumi said, her usual charming smile never faltering.
"...I just didn't want you to die under Mana's sword, that's all. You don't need to thank me for that." Shido replied, his tone flat, trying to brush off the situation.
"Ara, I didn't expect Shido-san to be a Tsundere~" Kurumi giggled, a mischievous glint in her eye. She couldn't resist teasing him, his reactions were just too entertaining.
"...Since when did I become a Tsundere?" Shido was speechless by Kurumi's words and helplessly shook his head. He didn't try to entertain her teasing. If he played along, she'd only take it as an invitation to tease him even more.
"My interest in you just keeps growing," Kurumi said with a smile. Yet, despite her charming expression, Shido could still feel a bit of eeriness from her smile.
"You really want to devour me that much?" he asked, half-joking, half-serious.
"The correct term would be, 'Become one together'" Kurumi giggled, her crimson eye gleaming with amusement.
"That… doesn't really change the meaning," Shido replied, exasperated.
"*Sigh* If you are just not crazy then-"
"How rude!" Kurumi interrupted with a playful pout, lightly hitting his arm.
Shido blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. when He had meant what he said, but seeing Kurumi's reaction, he couldn't deny that calling her crazy might have been a bit too blunt.
Fortunately, this girl didn't get triggered.
"...you would be a great girlfriend," Shido finished, watching Kurumi's expression closely.
The eerie amusement that usually danced in her eyes had faded, replaced by something... different. A flicker of helplessness and a shadow of regret?
"What's wrong?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. Kurumi was staring at him in a daze, lost in thought.
Then, as if snapping back to reality, she smiled playfully.
"Then, would you take me as your girlfriend at that time?" she said playfully, masking whatever emotions had flickered across her face just moments before.
Shido was momentarily stunned listening to Kurumi's unexpected words.
Shido was momentarily stunned by Kurumi's unexpected question.
"…I." He hesitated, unsure of how to respond. He couldn't just say he would have made her his girlfriend on a whim, it would sound shallow, as if he only cared about her beauty.
Although he had to say that Kurumi was charmingly beautiful girl, it wasn't the only thing that made him attracted to her.
He liked her cute personality. He liked her kindness toward animals, the unexpected gentleness hidden beneath her intimidating presence. Even her eerie, yet mesmerizing golden-red eyes fascinated him. And that perfect smile of hers, sometimes sweet, sometimes unsettling, only made her all the more captivating.
Just as Shido was searching for the right words to say, Kurumi suddenly let out a graceful laugh, her amused gaze locked onto his flustered expression.
"Fufu~ Shido-san, your expression right now is simply delightful." she teased, her voice dripping with amusement.
Shido blinked, momentarily at a loss. But the sight of her cheeky smile ignited something inside him, a desire to turn the tables around. Narrowing his eyes playfully, he took a deep breath and, with sudden determination, declared,
"Yes, I would!"
"Eh?"
Kurumi's usual composed demeanor wavered for a split second. Before she could react, Shido stepped forward, swiftly closing the distance between them. His sudden boldness caught her off guard, and for once, it was her turn to be stunned.
Kurumi's heart fluttered uncontrollably, beating so fast it felt as if it might escape her chest.
"W-What are you doing, Shido-san?" she murmured, momentarily caught off guard by this sudden shift in atmosphere.
"What's wrong? Why are you backing away?" Shido teased, stepping forward until Kurumi found herself backed against the wall.
Then, with a swift motion, he raised his hand and slammed it against the wall beside her head, executing a perfect "Kabedown" a move invented by President Shirogane.
Even though the surroundings were bathed in the warm orange glow of the sunset, Shido could still catch the faint blush creeping onto Kurumi's cheeks. It was subtle, but unmistakable, an expression of rare vulnerability on the face of the ever-enigmatic Spirit.
"Fufu~ I didn't expect Shido-san to be so bold, actually cornering a lone girl like me." Kurumi's voice carried a teasing lilt, her words playfully laced with a hint of feigned innocence. Yet, despite her coy act, the smile on her face remained bright and mischievous.
"..." Shido hesitated, realizing just how close they were. Their bodies nearly brushed against each other, and the warmth of the moment was becoming dangerously intoxicating. Maybe this was going a little too far...
But before he could retreat, Kurumi's fingers curled around his necktie, stopping him in place.
Shido's breath hitched as she tugged him back down, their faces now mere inches apart. Her crimson eye gleamed with an unreadable intensity as she stared directly into his brown ones.
For the first time, Shido wasn't sure who was truly in control.